PSYC 2000 LSU Knapp Exam 3 Ch 9

developmental psychology

focuses on physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the lifespan

Physical Development

growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness

cognitive development

involves learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity

psychosocial development

involves emotions, personality, and social relationships

normative approach

In the early decades of the 20th century, normative psychologists studied large numbers of children at various ages to determine norms of when most children reach specific developmental milestones in each of the three domains

developmental milestones

age-related averages as general guidelines to compare children with same-age peers to determine the approximate ages they should reach specific normative events

continuous development

a cumulative process, gradually improving on existing skills, gradual change

discontinuous development

believes that development takes place in unique stages: It occurs at specific times or ages. The change is more sudden, such as an infant's ability to conceive object permanence

nature

biology and genetics

nurture

environment and culture

psychosexual theory of development

psychosocial development

theory emphasizes the social nature of our development rather than its sexual nature.

trust vs mistrust

basic needs, such as nourishment and affection, will be met; 0-1 years

autonomy vs shame and doubt

Develop a sense of independence in many tasks; 1-3 years

initiative vs guilt

Take initiative on some activities—may develop guilt when unsuccessful or boundaries overstepped; 3-6 years

industry vs inferiority

Develop self-confidence in abilities when competent or sense of inferiority when not; 7-11 years

identity vs confusion

Experiment with and develop identity and roles; 12-18 years

intimacy vs isolation

Establish intimacy and relationships with others; 19-29 years

generatively vs stagnation

Contribute to society and be part of a family; 30-64 years

integrity vs despair

Assess and make sense of life and meaning of contributions; 65+ Years

schematas

concepts (mental models) that are used to help us categorize and interpret information

assimilation

when they take in information that is comparable to what they already know

accommodation

describes when they change their schemata based on new information

sensorimotor stage

World experienced through senses and actions; 0-2 years

object permanence

the understanding that even if something is out of sight, it still exists

animism

the belief that everything is alive

preoperational stage

Use words and images to represent things, but lack logical reasoning; 2-6 years

conservation

the idea that even if you change the appearance of something, it is still equal in size as long as nothing has been removed or added

egocentrism

means that the child is not able to take the perspective of others

concrete operations stage

Understand concrete events and analogies logically; perform arithmetical operations

reversibility

means that objects can be changed and then returned back to their original form or condition

formal operational stage

Formal operations; Utilize abstract reasoning

postformal stage

Lev Vygotsky's scaffolding

focused on the importance of social interactions for cognitive development; He views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies; He suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children develop with help from more skillful peers

prenatal development

gametes

sex cells that form a new cell at conception

zygote

begins as a one-cell structure that is created when a sperm and egg merge

germinal stage

fertilization to 2 weeks; begins with conception

conception

occurs when sperm fertilizes an egg and forms a zygote

placenta

a structure connected to the uterus that provides nourishment and oxygen from the mother to the developing embryo via the umbilical cord

embryonic stage

2-8 weeks; the mass of cells is now known as an embryo

ectodern

will become the skin and nervous system

endoderm

will become the digestive and respiratory systems

mesoderm

will become the muscle and skeletal systems

fetal stage

8 weeks-birth. Once cell differentiation is mostly complete, the embryo enters the next stage and becomes known as a fetus; This period of develop begins during the ninth week and lasts until birth.

prenatal care

medical care during pregnancy that monitors the health of both the mother and the fetus

teratogens

any environmental agent—biological, chemical, or physical—that causes damage to the developing embryo or fetus

maternal drug use

The use of both legal and illegal substances by the mother can have devastating consequences to the fetus

thalidomide

one of the first substances to focus attention on the problem of chemical influences during pregnancy. It was prescribed for morning sickness, and led to phocomelia - stunted growth in arms and legs.

smoking

reduces the amount of oxygen available to the developing fetus. It is linked to low birth weight, which can result in a weakened immune system, poor respiration, neurological impairment, higher rates of miscarriage/asthma/SIDS

fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

critical or sensitive period

Each organ of the fetus develops during a specific period in the pregnancy

newborn reflexes

inborn automatic responses to particular forms of stimulation

attachment

a long-standing connection or bond with others

secure base

a parental presence that gives the child a sense of safety as he explores his surroundings

Ainsworth's Strange Situation

the mother (or primary caregiver) and the infant (age 12-18 months) are placed in a room together. There are toys in the room, and the caregiver and child spend some time alone in the room. After the child has had time to explore her surroundings, a stranger enters the room. The mother then leaves her baby with the stranger. After a few minutes, she returns to comfort her child.

secure attachment

the toddler prefers his parent over a stranger

avoidant attachment

the child is unresponsive to the parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not care if the parent leaves

Ambivalent or resistant attachment

children tend to show clingy behavior, but then they reject the attachment figure's attempts to interact with them

disorganized attachment

behaved oddly in the Strange Situation; They freeze, run around the room in an erratic manner, or try to run away when the caregiver returns

self concept

an understanding of who you are

self awareness

the sense of being a separate person

mirror test

aka rouge test; mothers wiped a bit of rouge on the noses of their children and placed them in front of a mirror. Before 15 months, children look at the reflection and see a red spot on the nose in the mirror, but they don't realize that the red spot is on their own nose. When children are between 15 and 18 months, they begin to realize that the reflection they see is their own, and they either point to the red nose or try to wipe away the rouge.

demandingness

how rule-oriented parents are

responsiveness

how emotionally connected parents are to their children

authoritative style

the parent gives reasonable demands and consistent limits, expresses warmth and affection, and listens to the child's point of view

authoritarian style

the parent places high value on conformity and obedience

permissive style

the kids run the show and anything goes

uninvolved style

parenting, the parents are indifferent, uninvolved, and sometimes referred to as neglectful

adolescence

the period of development that begins at puberty and ends at emerging adulthood, which is discussed later. In the United States, adolescence is seen as a time to develop independence from parents while remaining connected to them

puberty

rapid physical changes that take place primarily in adolescence; it takes your body from that of a child to that of an adult capable of reproduction

adrenarche

Several physical changes occur during puberty

gonadracrche

the maturing of the adrenal glands and sex glands, respectively

primary sexual characteristics

organs specifically needed for reproduction, like the uterus and ovaries in females and testes in males

secondary sexual characteristics

physical signs of sexual maturation that do not directly involve sex organs, such as development of breasts and hips in girls, and development of facial hair and a deepened voice in boys

menarche

the beginning of menstrual periods, usually around 12-13 years old

spermarche

the first ejaculation, around 13-14 years old

growth spurt

both sexes experience a rapid increase in height

emerging adulthood

This is a relatively newly defined period of lifespan development spanning from 18 years old to the mid-20s, characterized as an in-between time where identity exploration is focused on work and love